S&O DESIGN x Isamiya launch Toe Furniture collection

“There was no furniture with a gentle form with the theme of contact between people and furniture,” said Hisakazu Shimizu, designer of the collection and one half of S&O DESIGN about the initial inspiration behind the Toe Furniture collection. Japanese design company S&O DESIGN and furniture manufacturer Isamiya recently collaborated to create a collection of ergonomic furniture pieces that satisfy these requirements. The Toe Furniture collection comprises chairs, tables, mirrors, shelves and coat hangers. Made out of white oakwood and finished with clear urethane paint, the light weight furniture pieces present themselves as classy pieces that can adorn living areas and bedrooms just as easily as children’s playrooms.

The design of the Toe Furniture collection was guided by the attempt to make the unconscious contact between people and the furniture pieces smooth. This is why special attention was levied on the parts of chairs and tables that one tends to touch unconsciously, like the underside of tables and the back legs of chairs. This led to the overall soft form of the furniture pieces that make for comfortable usage no matter how you sit on them, or tilt them.

The name of the collection is derived from the shape of the chair’s foot, which appears like a person standing on their toes. Defined by soft edges and subtle geometries, the furniture pieces refrain from appearing ostentatious and are instead, people friendly, easy to use, easy to carry and easy to clean. The collection perfectly ascribes to contemporary design sensibilities. Its muted tones and subtle presence never dominates the space it occupies, but instead familiarises itself with its surroundings and brilliantly fits in.

S&O DESIGN is a Japanese company that was founded by product designer Hisakazu Shimizu and design director Eizo Okada in the year 2012. The company utilises modern technology and extant manufacturing processes to produce innovative and utilitarian furniture and other ancillary products. Driven by the desire to expand the art and design market, the designer duo refrains from pigeonholing their design process under binaries. Instead, they utilise both old and new methods and materials to deliver distinct designs for different usages.

Founded in 1950, the Asahikawa based furniture company, Isamiya is a renowned company in Japan that produces wooden furniture for both residences and commercial spaces. Their furniture products are light and easy to carry. They are defined by soft edges and mellow colours, much the philosophy that drives their company: Let the warmth of the trees be passed to various towns in Japan, and provide a rich life to enjoy with the trees